


We've Come So Far (Even if We Don't Know Where We Are)

by QuixoticRobotics



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: Alternate Ending, F/M, autistic orpheus bc thats my brand, because then youve got one hell of a heroic bsod to recover from, happy ending au TECHNICALLY, love the idea of the canon ending but like. not a bad end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-27 01:54:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20940350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuixoticRobotics/pseuds/QuixoticRobotics
Summary: Orpheus finally sees how the world really is. So does Eurydice.





	We've Come So Far (Even if We Don't Know Where We Are)

He stepped numbly out of the darkness. His footsteps were uneven now, an ungraceful stumble. Even the drumming was gone. It was just him walking. He felt stupid for childishly imagining the sounds of music just to make the journey less lonely.

Lonely. That’s what he was going to be now. Why would she follow him? He let her die. He was incapable of providing for in even the most basic way. She had died. Every horrible thing she had been through, that was his fault.    
  
The sunlight provided no comfort. Instead of golden warmth gently enveloping him, he was hit by cold bright light that did nothing but hurt his eyes. 

He felt sick. He felt dizzy. Everything in the world seemed so heavy. He fell to his knees.

“Orpheus?”

It sounded just like her voice. It was a trick. Why wouldn’t it be a trick? Things aren’t fair just because they ought to be. He understood that now.

This time louder, more concerned

“Orpheus?”

He covered his ears and shut his eyes tightly. “please, stop” he begged quietly.

He was tired. Tired from walking alone through the cold and dark, tired from the endless steam of questions from the fates, tired from listening to his own thoughts. Was this what heroes looked like in the real world? Is this what victory felt like?

He felt two hands on his shoulders.  
  
  


“Orpheus? It’s me, It’s Eurydice.”  
  
  


Why did whatever was torturing making her sound so heartbroken?

It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true.

But he wanted it to be true. That’s all he ever did, want fantasies to be real. He was childish and he was weak. But he couldn’t find it in him to be strong. So he gave in.

He wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could and sobbed. He apologized, over and over and over.

He felt a hand touch the cheek where he had a small cut. He felt a finger trace along beside the length of the cut.   
  
It was so gentle, so soft and loving. He couldn’t handle this. 

“Oh, Orpheus…” he heard her say softly and sadly.

He fought back another wave of tears.

“Orpheus, please, at least open your eyes.”

  
He didn’t have the energy to put up any kind of fight. So he did what she said.   
  
She’d knelt down so they were face to face. He looked at her and he wasn’t sure what terrified him more, the possibility that she wasn’t really there and the look of adoration on her face was nothing but a daydream, or that she was really and now he’d have to face her when he was like this.   
  
Here he was, battered and worn down. He felt like something inside him had broken. Some important part of who he was had shattered and the shards were at the bottom of his stomach. He felt useless, out of tune. This wasn’t the Orpheus anyone wanted. This wasn’t the Orpheus that Eurydice deserved.   
  
She stood up and reached out a hand to help him up. “Come on, Let’s go home.”   
  
He looked up at her soft smile and the loving way she looked at him. It felt like a punch in the gut. He looked down. “No.”   
  
“What?” He couldn’t tell what emotion was in her voice. Confusion? Concern? Frustration?   
  
“I….I don’t know. I just can’t.” he failed to explain. “I can’t go back, I get it now, Eurydice. I finally see how the world really is.”   
  
“No you don’t.” She stated with a firmness that made her words feel objective and absolute. It startled him.   
  
“Orpheus, you’re tired and you’ve been alone with your own worries. Just because the world is harsh doesn’t mean it should be. Good people don’t deserve to suffer, especially not you.”   
  
Orpheus was speechless.    
  
“There are people who actually mean well, people you can trust. I learned that from you. And you clearly need someone to be there for you right now. So that’s what I’m going to do. Now come on, let’s go home, you look exhausted.”   
  
Orpheus was crying again. He took her hand. He felt light headed and empty. But Eurydice helped him steady himself. Not once did she let go of his hand.    
  
  
He was tired. He was so, so tired, in every way a person could be. He didn’t know if he’d ever be free of the ache that was inside him currently. It didn’t feel like something that would ever go away. But he had Eurydice there to help him keep himself upright. That was enough for right now.

**Author's Note:**

> its taken me like 2 tries to post this bc my internet went down then my cat ran across my keyboard so hopefully 3rd times the charm. I'd apologize for the corny song lyrics title but like. i tried to brainstorm a better title and just ended up getting nostalgic for the dixie chicks so adhd has decided this is the best you'll get. 
> 
> BUT YEA I love the ideological flip flop these two have done by the end of the story and really wanted to see these two. having to face the worldview they had at the start of the show by interacting. so I wrote that.


End file.
